Millions of Britons may still be using their mobile phones while driving despite penalties for the offence being doubled, research suggests.

Since March 1, drivers who use a hand-held phone have faced receiving six points on their licence and a £200 fine - up from the previous penalty of three points and £100.

While 89% of the 1,727 drivers surveyed by the RAC said they were aware of the law change, more than a quarter (26%) of those who knew of the tougher penalties admitted to regularly using their devices behind the wheel.

If the results were mimicked across 40 million UK drivers, it could mean 9.2 million motorists are habitually breaking the law, with the figure potentially even higher including the 11% of drivers who said they were unaware of the change.

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said the situation "remains dire" a year after research revealed the illegal use of mobile phones by drivers was at "epidemic proportions".

"It is clear we have a hard core of persistent offenders who believe they can get away with it by continuing to flout the law every day," he said.

Tomasz Kroker looking at his mobile phone while driving his lorry just before he killed a woman and three children

West Midlands Police officers highlighted the case saying they still believe too many drivers don’t understand the risks of using the phone at the wheel.

The research, carried out for the RAC's Report on Motoring 2017, found the number of drivers who admit to making or receiving calls illegally has fallen by a quarter in the past year.

But the illegal use of mobile phones by drivers was named as the number one concern for motorists surveyed, with 16% citing it as their top worry from a list of 23 common concerns.

Mr Williams added: "The numbers of drivers still using their hand-held phones at the wheel remains at epidemic levels and is a serious problem for society. The Government, police and road safety organisations still have a huge job to do to end the hand-held mobile phone menace."